BNFP / Day One – Sun, Sun, Sun…

The acronym = beauty notes from Portugal. And notes these will be; while lots of my posts are weeks, or even months, in formation, I wanted to bosh out a series from the sunny shores of Portugal without spending oodles of time on research and linking up etc (basically: I want to read, sleep, eat and swim without any protracted periods of waiting for the Portuguese wifi to kick into gear).

Missile number one: suncream. Vitally important in the UK to protect the skin, even more so here. I don’t use fancy lightweight/primer suncreams in Portugal because during the day I’m make-up free. I also steer clear from long-lasting formulas on account of wanting the regular top up of moisture a suncream offers.

I have with me:

FACE // Institut Esthederm Photo Regul / Whenever I put my face in the sun, pigmentation rears its ugly head. The aim of this suncream is to sort of join the dots, keeping existing pigmentation marks under control while allowing the skin to take a touch of colour where it’s pale. It’s enormously clever (as is the whole Institut Esthederm ‘we fortify your skin allowing it to colour as natural protection, giving you a tan while you forgo damage’ thing). I also have Institut Esthederm’s UV inCellium in my beach bag at all times – as it’s one of those water mists (hydration! sweet sensation of cooling! The joy!) with the added bonus of helping to strengthen skin and top up its natural sun-resistance, I rarely go on a summer holiday without packing it.

BODY // Cripes, I went a bit mad here. I’ve got: Institut Esthederm Adaptasun, for the beginning of my holiday; Decleor Aroma Sun Expert SPF 30, because it feels a treat and I imagine when I’m a little tanned I’ll love slipping its silky veil over my body and hair, and Lancaster Sport Spray, for anytime I need to just spritz on sun protection and not rub it in (I primarily have these moments on the beach, when sand prohibits the rubbing of skin and everything gets a little frantic in the rush to avoid burning).

HAIR // The Decleor Aroma Sun Expert covers hair, but I’ve also been finishing the bottle of Phyto Plage Protective Sun Veil, I started in France earlier in the month. Again, while the oil will be a pleasure to use, this spray is a little more ‘hair style friendly’, neither greasing it up too much or weighing it down.

SENSITIVE SPOTS // There’s always a moment where my lips are awfully dry on a warm holiday but as most lip balms will make them reflective and therefore burn them thoroughly, I pack an SPF balm. This time, Guinot’s. I’ve also got Bioderma MAX Cream + Stick SPF 50+ for around eyes/tops of cheekbones/anywhere that feels a little sensitive.